
Imago
Credits – IMAGO

Imago
Credits – IMAGO
The snowboarding fans see Shaun White not in his gear but settling into a new role at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics as an NBC commentator. And he is filling his role quite well! On Wednesday, ahead of the women’s halfpipe qualification, the 39-year-old offered a look into America’s Chloe Kim’s strategy to defend her gold medal amid a shoulder injury.
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“It’s really impressive when that big score comes in and you get all those points. So I think today’s that day where you just want to put in a nice score,” Shaun White said during the broadcast. “And hopefully Chloe’s on her way to finish first in this, which would drop her last in the finals tomorrow. So that’s like a strategy as well, is that you not only want to get through, but you want to have that last position, that final say on finals. Kind of like what you had in PyeongChang.”
The strategy that the man who once dominated the men’s snowboarding scene stated is exactly what Kim applied at the women’s halfpipe qualification. In her first run, the 25-year-old, who is aiming for that three-peat in the women’s halfpipe, secured a score of 90.25. The second run of the competition didn’t see her improve, and with the same score, she remained at the top, qualifying for the women’s halfpipe final on Thursday.
So, with her coming first, these results will allow her to get enough time in the final, as she will be going last during the competition, following all the other snowboarders. Indeed, this might become the saving grace for the American sensation who tore her labrum in January.

Reuters
2022 Beijing Olympics – Snowboard – Women’s Snowboard Halfpipe Final Run 1 – Genting Snow Park, Zhangjiakou, China – February 10, 2022. Chloe Kim of the United States in action. REUTERS/Mike Blake
“I feel good. Happy to be here. There is definitely a lot of pressure, but I do think that the Olympics are so special because we have so much support globally,” Kim said after topping the charts on Wednesday. And she will be chasing that one accolade that even the legend Shaun White didn’t achieve in his career.
Chloe Kim is trying to do what Shaun White missed
“I’m standing at the top, one run to go, the world’s watching, my whole family’s here, everybody’s cheering for me, and I just put it down. Did what I knew I could do and what I’ve trained to do and it makes it all so worthwhile. I’m an Olympic gold medalist again. Wow,” Shaun White said, following his gold medal in the men’s halfpipe at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.
He scored 97.75 points to achieve this feat, becoming the first snowboarder to achieve three gold medals in halfpipe. However, White didn’t achieve it in consecutive Games, leaving a certain record untouched.
Indeed, no snowboarder has ever achieved a three-peat in the halfpipe events, whether in men’s or women’s. However, this is where the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics gets interesting. The stage that will be set on the Livigno Snow Park will see 25-year-old Chloe Kim chasing that particular feat, trying to become the very first snowboarder to win three Olympic gold medals in a row.
There’s a huge challenge for her, and despite the complications she had because of her shoulder injury, Kim is pushing herself beyond her limits, and many will be praying for her efforts to come to fruition on Thursday.

